One of the most common things the team at Stables Coffee hears from customers is:

“I bought this coffee and it just doesn’t taste very good.”

Sometimes, there can be a problem with the coffee itself. More often than not, though, the issue comes down to how the coffee is being prepared at home.

Making great espresso doesn't have to be complicated, with a few simple adjustments, it's possible to get much more out of an espresso machine and enjoy better coffee every day.

Whether someone is new to espresso or has been using their machine for years, these tips will help make the process more consistent and, most importantly, more enjoyable.

Start with the right recipe

When making espresso, the aim is balance. As coffee extracts, different flavours come through at different stages. Acidity, sweetness, bitterness and body all play a part, and the goal is to bring these characteristics together to create a balanced espresso.

There are several variables that can affect the final cup, but a good starting point for Stables Coffee house blends is:

• 18g of ground coffee in
• 36g of espresso out
• 26–30 seconds extraction time

This is roughly a 2:1 ratio and provides a useful starting point when dialling in coffee. However, these numbers shouldn't be treated as strict rules. If an espresso takes 22 seconds and tastes great, there is no reason not to enjoy it. It may have slightly more acidity, but if that's what tastes good, then it's the right espresso.

Equally, if an espresso takes 35 seconds and tastes delicious, drink it. The numbers are there to provide a starting point, not to dictate exactly how coffee should taste.

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Invest in a good grinder

For anyone serious about making better espresso at home, a good grinder is one of the most worthwhile pieces of equipment to invest in. Freshly grinding coffee just before brewing makes a significant difference. Much like herbs and spices, coffee begins to lose flavour and aroma once it has been ground.

A grinder also provides something particularly useful: control.

For example, if 18g of coffee is placed into the basket and the espresso takes 40 seconds to extract, the grind is likely to be too fine. The water is struggling to pass through the coffee, which can result in a bitter-tasting espresso.

The solution is simple:

Make the grind slightly coarser.

Keep the dose at 18g and change just one variable at a time. If the espresso runs very quickly and tastes sour or overly acidic, the grind may be too coarse. In that case, try making it slightly finer. This process is known as dialling in, making small adjustments to the grind and other variables until the coffee tastes the way it should.

Don't forget to purge the grinder

One small detail that can easily be overlooked when adjusting the grinder is the coffee already sitting inside it. After changing the grind setting, it's usually necessary to purge a small amount of coffee before the new setting comes through properly.

Without doing this, a new shot may still contain coffee from the previous grind setting, making it seem as though the adjustment hasn't made any difference, give the grinder a little time to catch up before judging the next shot.

Don't waste half a bag of coffee

There is no need to throw away coffee every time an espresso isn't absolutely perfect. If a shot takes 40 seconds and tastes perfectly drinkable, enjoy it. Instead of throwing the shot away, make a note of the adjustment needed for the next one. That way, the next espresso can be tweaked without wasting perfectly good coffee.

It's also worth remembering that the ideal grind setting can change from one day to the next.

Temperature can have a surprisingly significant effect on how coffee extracts. If it's 30°C one morning and 16°C the next, something that can certainly happen with English weather, the same grind setting may behave differently. A small adjustment from one day to the next is completely normal.

Get the machine nice and warm

This is another simple step that can easily be overlooked, particularly on busy mornings.

Heat the portafilter.

Most home espresso machines have some form of pre-heating, and it's worth making use of it. If the portafilter and basket are cold, they can absorb some of the heat from the brewing water during extraction. This can result in an under-extracted espresso, which is often more acidic or sour.

For a more balanced and consistent espresso, make sure the machine, portafilter and basket are properly warmed up before brewing, sometimes the best thing to do is simply give the machine a little more time.

Keep the equipment clean and dry

Before making coffee, make sure the portafilter and basket are clean and dry. Keeping a dry cloth nearby makes this quick and easy.

Old coffee left in the basket, or water sitting in the basket before adding fresh grounds, can affect the extraction and ultimately change the flavour of the espresso. The same applies to the tamper, it should be kept clean and dry before use.

These may seem like small details, but they all contribute to making espresso more consistent from one shot to the next.

Dose the coffee accurately

If a double basket is designed to hold 18g of coffee, start by weighing out 18g. It may sound obvious, but a set of scales makes the entire process much easier.

Not all home espresso machines use the same size baskets, so it's important to check what the machine is designed to take rather than automatically assuming that every basket requires 18g. Once the correct dose has been established, weighing the coffee provides a consistent starting point for every shot.

That consistency also makes it much easier to understand what has changed when an espresso doesn't taste quite right.

Distribute the coffee evenly

Once the ground coffee is in the basket, it should be distributed as evenly as possible before tamping. A large mound of coffee in the centre of the basket isn't ideal. The grounds can be gently levelled by hand, or a distribution tool can be used if available.

The aim is simply to create an even bed of coffee.

Why does this matter?

Water will always look for the easiest route through the coffee. If the coffee bed is uneven, water can find weak spots and rush through them. This is known as channelling, and it can result in an uneven extraction.

Even distribution helps the water move more consistently through the coffee, producing a more balanced espresso.

Tamp evenly and don't smash the portafilter into the machine

Once the coffee has been distributed, it's time to tamp. The important thing is to apply even, firm pressure and, most importantly, create a level tamp.

There is no need to apply excessive force. The goal is simply to compress the coffee evenly across the basket. Another common mistake is putting the portafilter into the machine too aggressively and allowing it to hit the shower screen...this should be avoided.

If the coffee puck is knocked against the shower screen, the surface of the coffee can crack. This creates another route for water to take and can contribute to an uneven extraction. Instead, lock the portafilter into place gently and start brewing.

Weigh the espresso as it comes out

Once the 18g dose has been prepared, place the cup on a set of scales and tare it back to zero.

Then start the espresso.

As a starting point, aim for around 36g out in 26–30 seconds.

There is no need for expensive equipment. Small coffee scales are readily available and can make a significant difference when learning how a particular machine and grinder work together.

For example, an espresso using 18g of coffee that produces 37g out in 29 seconds is close enough to the target.

There is no need to create laboratory conditions in the kitchen. The goal is simply to make great coffee.

What if the numbers don't match?

This is where scales and a timer become particularly useful.

Imagine the espresso produces:

18g in → 20g out → 29 seconds

The extraction is taking roughly the right amount of time, but not enough espresso has been produced. This suggests that the grind may be too fine and the water is struggling to pass through the coffee.Try making the grind slightly coarser and see how the next shot behaves.

On the other hand, if the espresso is rushing through the coffee in just 15–20 seconds, the grind may need to be made finer.

The most important thing is to change one variable at a time.

Avoid changing the dose, grind size and extraction time simultaneously. If everything changes at once, it becomes almost impossible to know which adjustment actually improved the coffee.

And finally… taste the coffee

This is perhaps the most important part of the entire process.

It's easy to become so focused on achieving 18g in, 36g out and exactly 28 seconds that the most important thing gets forgotten:

Does the coffee actually taste good?

The numbers are useful tools for understanding what is happening during extraction, but taste is the final judge. If an espresso takes 22 seconds and tastes fantastic, enjoy it. If it takes 30 seconds and tastes bitter, make an adjustment. If a shot falls slightly outside the usual parameters but tastes great, then it has achieved exactly what it needed to achieve.

Dialling in isn't about finding one perfect recipe that works forever. It's about understanding the coffee, making small adjustments and finding what tastes best.

So, the next time an espresso is made at home, take a little time to get the basics right. Keep the equipment clean, weigh the dose, distribute the coffee evenly, pay attention to the extraction and, most importantly, taste the result.

The problem might not have been the coffee at all.

Happy brewing!